|
Post by paulf on Sept 5, 2016 11:44:00 GMT -5
This is the best one day picking yet this year and did not include cherry tomatoes. Those we pick a bunch when we want to eat them. As you see, I like big tomatoes.
|
|
|
Post by stratcat on Sept 5, 2016 11:47:57 GMT -5
Those look really good, Paul! I, too, like big tomatoes and grow some cherries to snack on and mostly to share.
|
|
|
Post by horsea on Sept 6, 2016 22:26:33 GMT -5
Nice bunch o' toms you got there! Re cherry toms - I got too many and don't have the inclination to stand there and pick them so I cut whole branches off incl. green + red. The only cherry tom. plant I have is Rose Quartz Multiflora.
Paul, how come you pick your big toms half green?
|
|
|
Post by paulf on Sept 7, 2016 7:30:26 GMT -5
Late in the season there are so many pests, both insects and birds, that like to eat holes in the fruit that I like to get the harvest before they do. They seem to last longer ripening on a table in the garage than on the vine. Flavor does not seem to be affected by picking a little on the green side. There have been long threads on another tomato site on the topic. I was always a pick ripe person until I gave it a go. Even earlier in the season most get picked on the green side, just not so much as in the later stages.
|
|
|
Post by daylilydude on Sept 9, 2016 2:12:07 GMT -5
paulf, you knew this was coming... what variety are the 2 yellow tomatoes in the bottom left of your pic?
|
|
|
Post by paulf on Sept 9, 2016 7:23:21 GMT -5
Dude: those are Dixie Golden Giant. On the beauty scale they are 5/5; on the flavor scale they are the lowest rated of this year's crop, 3/5 where the scale is excellent, great, good, poor, spitter. Dixie is like a lot of yellows, a bit bland tasting. It may be that while they were ripening we had lots of rain. I don't think so. I think they are just less flavorful.
|
|
|
Post by horsea on Sept 9, 2016 20:52:35 GMT -5
Late in the season there are so many pests, both insects and birds, that like to eat holes in the fruit that I like to get the harvest before they do. They seem to last longer ripening on a table in the garage than on the vine
Yes, I know. I read that as long as a tomato has a bit of ripening, it's okay to pluck them and let them completely ripen inside.
After about Sept. 15th, if they predict a frost, I pick 'em all. It is way too much work trying to cover large, indeterminate toms.
|
|
whistech
Pro Member
Posts: 300
Joined: April 2013
|
Post by whistech on Sept 10, 2016 13:16:25 GMT -5
Those are beautiful tomatoes! What variety was your best tasting tomato this year?
|
|
|
Post by paulf on Sept 11, 2016 9:16:27 GMT -5
Oh my gosh, Whistech! Let's see, which of my grandchildren do I love the most? How about I list my best tasting this year by type.
Heart shaped (includes both heart and oxheart): Joes's Pink Oxheart followed closely by Amana Pink and Hungarian Heart.
Beefsteak, both red and pink: Kolb has been a winner this year and last. Also Mortgage Lifter...not sure of which of the 16 ML strains this one is. Got a package of seeds to try from a guy I never heard of to try. Also at the top of best tasting are a couple of varieties I rescued from oblivion from the USDA seed bank, renamed and grew out several years ago; Willow's Bulgarian (No Name Bulgarian) and Nolan Boy's Russian (Unknown Russian)and Italian Sweet.
In the yellow/orange/bicolor: Kellogg's Breakfast/KBX always is good.
Black: Cherokee Purple and Carbon
So narrow down from there to our(me and my wife) top choices: Kolb, Willow's Bulgarian, Joe's Pink Oxheart Italian Sweet and Mortgage Lifter.
This has been an outstanding year so far a excellent tasting tomatoes. Usually the answer would be a short one. This year is as wordy as I usually am when someone asks me to talk about tomatoes. Sorry for the long post.
|
|
whistech
Pro Member
Posts: 300
Joined: April 2013
|
Post by whistech on Sept 12, 2016 19:42:14 GMT -5
Thank You Paul for taking the time to share your best tasting tomatoes this year.
|
|
|
Post by daylilydude on Sept 15, 2016 4:46:22 GMT -5
paulf, another question... are any of these from a dwarf grow-out?
|
|
|
Post by paulf on Sept 15, 2016 10:34:23 GMT -5
The Cherry/salad sized in the middle are from Emmy T-151, an F-1, first year grow-out. Usually I get dwarf grow outs closer to the finished product, but this one is at the very beginning stages. This is a mystery - Dwarf Emerald Giant X either Sun Gold F1 or Mexico Midget. Mine is clearly Mexico Midget. We will see what the F-2 brings. This is my main Dwarf tomatoes for the project this year: Firebird Sweet, two different forms, both very nice. Both large for a dwarf, 10-12 ounce size and very good taste. I think one or two more years they will be ready.
|
|
|
Post by daylilydude on Sept 15, 2016 12:28:48 GMT -5
paulf, can you give us any more info on these Firebird Sweet, like plant size, leaf shape and so on without having to kill us...LOL!
|
|
|
Post by paulf on Sept 15, 2016 15:13:11 GMT -5
The goal for Firebird Sweet is a medium sized smooth oblate pink with clear skin. Pink with vertical gold stripes. In some Chocolate Lightning will come out. See the above photo. One plant gave the chocolate coloring but my other three are on goal and will be continued in F-7. I actually like the Chocolate Lightning, but it already set.
Both numbers 5027 (no photo of the correct color, but I did save the seeds from the good one) and 5268 had true dwarf rugs leaves. 5027 was about 4 feet tall and rather straight up and down while 5268 was a little taller but very bushy as a dwarf usually is.
Parents of Firebird Sweet are Beauty King X Dwarf Wild Fred. Wild Fred is a dwarf I helped in the grow out stages a few years ago.
|
|